KlipschR-15M Bookshelf Speaker (Pair) OPEN BOX

I previously purchased a set of Klipsch R-15M's for my HTS as rear surround speakers. I currently have the RP-150M's as fronts and the R-25C for center, driven by a Denon AVR-S720W. I really enjoy my HTS with using Klipsch as my surround speakers. I recently set up a "vintage" Kenwood receiver and tuner for some casual listening in another room. The speakers that were used with this system were no good anymore. The foam surrounds were dry rotted. I temporarily hooked up the R-15M's from my HTS and I was quite surprised how well they sounded. The Kenwood is rated at 40WPC and the Klipsch's are very efficient. Nice match for the Kenwood I thought. I set the tone controls at "0". No problem "cranking" the volume up a bit..the speakers produced great sound. I was really impressed with the bass for a bookshelf speaker in a 2 channel system! The mids and uppers were clean. Yes, Klipschs are known for their "forwardness", but I always preferred a dynamic, engaging sound. I ordered a second pair of the R-15M's and also a set of Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2's for comparison. The Elacs are a little more expensive, but thought "lets give the Klipsch's a run for the money". I hooked both sets of speakers up to a AB switch. I know that to do a "real" comparison I would need to let the speakers break-in for a period. Well, if the speakers were being installed in my main 2 channel audio system, and were up in the thousands of dollars range, yes, I would let them break in according to the manufacturer and do longer listening sessions for comparison. In this instance, I decided to give the listening sessions a couple of days with various media. I used a Audioengine B1, Thorens TD160 turntable, and a Adcom GCD-575 CD player. Good quality audio components for their respective price range. I set the speakers up six feet apart at ear level. The room has no special acoustic treatments. Curtains behind the speakers, both side and opposite wall is drywall. Large area rug on floor. Upholstery chair. "Average room" furnishings. Nothing special. Both pairs of speakers were placed right next to each other, four feet from the rear wall just slightly facing in. I was sitting in the sweet spot at 15 feet. Both sets of speakers produced great sound on all of the respective audio components. The Elacs really came through on the Thorens listening to Adele's 25. Definite "wow" factor! The cartridge is a Shure M97. The Elacs were outstanding on this album! They also stood out on Dire Straits Brother in Arms 20th Anniversary Edition on the Adcom CDP. The Klipsch speakers sounded to me, more engaging, dynamic, more punch, and yes, "forward". The Elacs sounded clean, smooth, although not quite as much low end as the Klipschs on this system. Possibly the Elacs lower efficiency rating may have affected the low end? I really liked the Elacs. The mids and highs were much more easy listening to, more accurate, but yet kind of "sterile", I thought. Compared to the Klipsch R-15M in this particular listening comparison, overall the Elacs to me were a little too neutral, not as engaging for my listening preference. After going over the positives and negatives of both excellent sounding speakers, my preference leaned more towards the Klipschs. I felt more "involved" with the music coming from the Klipschs. More dynamic. Either speaker would be a great choice in its price range for quality of sound. FYI. I have no affiliation with either of the speaker manufacturers. Enjoy the music!!

Pros:Sound depth and definition!I bought these speakers to replace my early 1970's large Sansui speakers. The vintage Sansui's were still PERFECT in sound quality, but moving into a really small apartment meant extreme downsizing, and the large floor Sansui's would not fit the limited floor space.I went to local shops and listened to a variety of speakers at all price ranges. There were several great speakers that sounded as good as my Sansui's but they were either as large, or if smaller, in an unaffordable price range.My son encouraged me to consider Klipsch as he liked his system... but to my ear, his system did not have the depth that I was looking for. I did however like the Klipsch definition on the high and mid-range... and so I bought a set of Klipsch Synergy Black Label B-100 Bookshelf Speakers and brought them home. I brought them home and hooked them up. I was immediately disappointed in the lack of depth in the sound output! No longer did I feel as if I were at a concert full of sound! When I walked away from the speakers, the sound did not follow the way my Sansui's did even on low volume.They call the Klipsch Synergy Black Label B-100 Bookshelf Speakers, but really, they are desktop speakers. I returned them as I could not reconcile myself to their limitations. I did like the sound definition on high notes, but I needed speakers with a fuller range and much more depth. So I took a chance and ordered these larger Klipsch R-15M Bookshelf Speakers on Amazon. Thanks to Amazon's return policy, I knew that if I did not like the speakers after trying them out, I could return them without hassle. But, that won't be necessary!When they arrived, I unplugged just one of the Sansui's and replaced it with one of the Klipsch R-15M's so that I could compare the sound from each speaker. I was blown-away!!! The sound from the Klipsch R-15M was equal to the much larger Sansui's with its 12 inch woofer... how did Klipsch manage that!? : )At last, I have sound suitable replacements for my Sansui's, at a price I can afford!CONS:NONE!